


The Foxe and the Crocodile

by TallyIV



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Maybe - Freeform, Mr Gold was one of the only reasons i watched that show, Once Upon a Time (TV) References, The Dark One (Once Upon a Time), but thats besides the point, him and the sebastian stan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:48:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27993276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyIV/pseuds/TallyIV
Summary: Mr Gold has an Assistant that is just a little more clever and devoted than people think.
Relationships: Mr Gold/ Original Female Character, Mr Gold/OFC, Rumplestiltskin/OFC
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

“I need to speak to your Boss” the mayor fairly shouted at Mr. Gold’s employee, after bursting through the door and banging it behind her.

“Mr. Gold isn’t in right now but if you care to wait I’m sure he will be back shortly”, was the quiet calm reply from the short young woman behind the counter.

“Fine” Ragina humphed and stood impatiently, tapping her foot. The young woman eyed her with a unnoticed mischievous look that was quickly concealed behind a mask of timidity.

“Is there anything you would like to purchase while you wait Madam Mayor? There are several items here that might interest you perhaps”

“Oh like what?”

The girl behind the counter slipped off her stool and moved behind a display case holding fancy pens, she opened it and took out one in particular,

“This pen was used to sign an order by Lenin to kill the Royal family, you could use it to sigh your paperwork as mayor, fits you per.....”

“Ember! What have I told you about leaving the back room So messy, go clean it!”

“Yes Mr Gold” she quickly put away the pen and scurried into the back room, darting past him as he stood in the curtained doorway.

“I apologize for your wait” he moved behind the register, “now how can I help you with madam mayor?” He asked with one of his crocodile like smiles.

...

Ember heard the door shut behind Regina and Gold shifted the curtain aside before calling to her, “your done for the day, go explore or something”

“Yes Ru... Mr Gold”

She picked up her thinks and headed to her apartment not far from the shop. Once there she dropped her things and went to her work table.

Unbeknownst to Regina and even Mr. Gold, Ember remembered the enchanted forest. There she had been Mr. Gold’s servant having made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin.

The deal was he heal her of a mortal injury and she serve him for as long as he needed her. Simple really, work hard live for a really long time. She could play the part people expected from her, timidity. Because of her small stature, people rarely took her seriously. The only thing they saw remarkable about her was her bright red hair and perfect pale skin. They didn’t take the time to see past that to the mischievous clever person beneath. Ember Foxe was just as her name implies, a fox. Rumple knew but didn’t know she still knew.

Or that she was in love with him, that secret she was determined to take to the grave.

She spent the night writing down again all she remembered of her past life. Her little ritual lest she might forget.

...

When she went into work the next day Mr. Gold was absent. It didn’t really shock Ember he often had unexpected and unexplained absences. So she got to work setting out some new merchandise and cleaning the store room before opening up the shop and sitting behind the counter with a book.

At about 11 o’clock Mr. Gold swept in.

“I don’t pay you to read”

“Works done” she didn’t even look up at him as he moved behind her looking at the book curiously.

“The Count of MonteCristo?” He asked

“It’s about a clever person, you know how I endeavor to be clever” she turned a page

“Some would argue it’s a love story, I thought you hate love stories?”

She snorted, “its hardly that, it’s about clever clever revenge and money and getting back what belongs to you.... I’d think you’d like it a lot” she turned another page

Mr. Gold gave her a small smile that Ember didn’t see. She seldom caught the smiles he bestowed only on her, not even Bell got those special smiles. He went into the back shaking his head when he saw all the work done by his little fox.


	2. Pocket watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know these chapters are a little short but i originally wrote this for my tumblr, have steadily moving things over here because i like the formatting better.

Now what many people think of foxes is that they are cute sweet little creatures that might get into your hen house on occasion. If you are from japan you will think they are clever mischievous creatures not to be trusted, to the northern native Americans they are still clever and mischievous but they are givers of knowledge as well. To the Norse they will lead you to treasure.

Some characteristics of all the mythologies were evident in Ember’s life. She was small and cute, seemed timid, was very clever and mischievous, loyal only to her self and Mr. Gold, she was very smart, and had her own sort of magic that not only protected her from the curse but gave her good luck in finding treasures whether she was exploring the forest, as she was want to do, or local shops.

Her house spoke much of this, A small little house in the woods given to her by Mr. Gold. Filled to the brim with books as trinkets and fine things. Her bed was in the attic just a mattress on the floor but mounded High with blankets and pillows. Books stood in teetering stacks and filled up bookshelves all throughout the house.

There she sat in her house in a high backed arm chair that looked a lot like a throne. Her legs tucked under her, sewing bright buttons onto a beautiful old jacket she had just found at a thrift store. It was a beautiful chocolate brown color cut like a Victorian men’s jacket but tailored for her. When a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in Mr. Gold” she called, snipping the red thread she was working with.

“How did you know it was me?” Mr Gold asked as he entered closing the door behind him and coming to sit opposite her in a still comfortable but less grand arm chair.

“You are the only one who ever visits me Mr. Gold”, she puts aside her needle and thread, as a kettle on the stove starts to whistle “and I was expecting you”. She starts to make tea for the both of them. “You are here because I purchased a watch at the antique store next town over. And you would like a look at it”. She set his tea on the table beside him with a cookie.

“You are quite right my dear I would”.

He smiled as she handed a large pocket watch over to him.

“You left town?” He asked casually looking over the watch, it was the white rabbit’s watch, Mr. Gold could see that, and Ember knew it but wasn’t going to let him know she knew.

“I leave town all the time Mr. Gold. I don’t understand why everyone is afraid to. There is a whole dimension of treasures out there” she took a sip of her tea, Mr. Gold regarded her closely.

“Sometimes you sound like know more than you do” he said cryptically.

“So do you Mr. Gold, so do you.” She stood from her chair again going to a bookshelf and pondering the titles, “so would you like the watch? I was thinking it’s worth about three months rent monetary value. To someone sentimental enough maybe more but to me it’s three months rent”

Gold chuckled and slipped the watch in his pocket, “sounds fair, so you have and agreement drawn up?”

She nodded, “Its on the desk”

Gold moved over and signed it, “your learning” he said before noticing her open journal on her desk. He touched the page, a drawing of his castle in the enchanted forest, and a list of potion ingredients on one side, on the other a timeline of the time he had known her. From her first deal with him till now. “So you have figured it out” he said his voice different.

“Figured what out?” She asked turning to face him, Clever eyes gleaming with untold secrets.

“Regina’s plan” she followed his arm down to her journal and sighed.

“Always knew, granted I was a little confused in the beginning, but my mind soon cleared” she straightened and her tone grew more confident and knowing like it had been in the old days.

“You never told me”

“Why should I? The whole town doesn’t remember, if Regina knew that I know I would be on her hit list... well I already am from before but I would be on her active hit list. I don’t need her attention. It would make it harder for me to find my treasures”.

She grinned that knowing grin that lets you know that someone knows more than they should about something or other and isn’t afraid to use it. Mr. Gold returned the smile and picked up his things.

“I will see you Monday in the shop per usual Ms. Foxe” He said as a Good bye.

“Of course, Mr. Gold, I wouldn’t miss it for the world”

“I know you better than that dearey you would miss anything for the world” Gold said as he left, closing the door behind him so that he just missed Ember’s parting comment of,

“Anything except you Rumplestilskin” before she turned back to the books.


End file.
